Tigers, Fister ground White Sox

Richard L. Shook, The Sports Xchange

The SportsXchangeAugust 3, 2013

DETROIT -- Doug Fister gave his infielders a heads-up on Friday night. "Ground balls coming your way." Fister served up a dozen groundouts, including three double plays, and limited Chicago to one run in eight innings of Detroit's 2-1 victory, handing the Tigers their sixth straight win and the White Sox their eighth consecutive loss. Jose Iglesias drove in a run in his first game with Detroit since coming over from Boston in a three-team deal earlier in the week. "He told us before the game to get ready for ground balls," said Ramon Santiago, a late pregame lineup insertion at second when Miguel Cabrera was scratched because of a lingering abdominal muscle problem. Iglesias shifted from second to third before the game even began. Fister (10-5) allowed seven hits but did not walk a batter in winning his fourth start in a row and third since the All-Star break. "The defense definitely picked us up," said Fister, who even got an out on the sixth-inning RBI single he allowed because Alex Rios gave himself up between first and second to make sure the two-out run scored. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, "I like the fact you know there's going to be action when he pitches. You're not sitting around. He doesn't go to 3-2 counts on very many batters. All three of our infielders quietly made good plays." Joaquin Benoit finished for his 11th save in 11 opportunities for the Tigers. Hector Santiago (3-7) was superb for Chicago, walking one and striking out seven in seven innings. But he still got the loss. "That's probably one of his better pitching jobs," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "That's as sharp as he's been for us. He was locating the ball and had a little zip on it too, late. That was a good step forward for him." Austin Jackson's seventh home run came with one out in the fifth and gave Detroit a 2-0 lead. Iglesias started a smart double play that ended the third inning. The ball was a high hopper right at him, but Alexei Ramirez was running. "There's no doubt about it," Iglesias said when asked if he was nervous in his first game for his new team. "I'm happy to be here." Iglesias dropped a single into short right in the fourth to drive in his first run as a Tiger. Prince Fielder had doubled leading off the inning and was at third with two out when Iglesias, in his second at-bat, hit a soft single to right to break a scoreless tie. There was a grin when Iglesias was asked about his flyout to the warning track in left field, which would have banged off the Green Monster in Fenway Park or perhaps gone over it. "Oh, home run," Iglesias grinned when asked what the ball would have been in Boston. "It was high enough." NOTES: Detroit is 6-1 without Cabrera in the lineup this season, with five of the wins coming since July 23. ... Chicago had LF Dayan Viciedo taking ground balls at first base in mid-afternoon. "The other day in Cleveland it came up that he might have had to play first base," Ventura said. "We're doing this so that he won't have to go over there dry." ... Iglesias asked for and was given uniform number 1, which hasn't been worn in Detroit since second baseman Lou Whitaker retired. "If he wants (my number) 10, he can have it," said Leyland, who was made aware that Iglesias wore 10 in Boston. "He looks like he's 15 years old. He's the first guy I've ever had where I really felt old." ... Lefty Chris Sale was pulled after five innings having thrown 79 pitches on Thursday against Cleveland, but the White Sox aren't monitoring his innings or pitch count. "It was more a case of it wasn't going well for him," Ventura said. "It was a good time to get him out of there."